


Pumpkin Season

by dahdeemohn



Series: The Road to Recovery [5]
Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Autumn, Established Relationship, Introspection, M/M, Pumpkins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-15
Updated: 2016-10-15
Packaged: 2018-08-22 13:50:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8287949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dahdeemohn/pseuds/dahdeemohn
Summary: While decorating for autumn and Halloween, Finn decides that he'd really like to carve a pumpkin and for whatever reason this simple thing causes emotions to ensue.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Like for real "and for whatever reason this simple thing causes emotions to ensue" may as well be my description for every one of my fics.

Come mid-September, signs for farmers markets and haunted attractions seemed to spring up on every telephone pole downtown, while colorful potted mums suddenly occupied every grocery store entryway and sandwich boards that advertised that pumpkin spice was back were set up outside of coffee shops. Although Finn wished that the temperature would cool by a few degrees or that the leaves would change color (truly, Florida's version of autumn was merely "pumpkin season"), he was content to ready the apartment so at the very least it gave the illusion that autumn weather graced Orlando. Per Sami’s request, he held off on pulling out the larger boxes of decorations from the basement’s storage unit until his ever-fretful boyfriend could be home to assist with them, but it didn’t stop him from opening a few and sneaking a few items out. Before long, fake cobwebs with small rubber spiders that stretched across an unoccupied corner of the living room, a few plastic skulls were placed atop the bookshelves, and a wreath arranged with dried wheat, red and maroon silk leaves, and a burlap bow was hung on the front door.

“I can’t say it surprises me that Halloween is your favorite holiday,” Sami teased affectionately as he worked on stringing up the promised green and purple and orange lights around the windows, pausing his work as Finn approached him with an apple turnover that they'd bought from the store earlier and had just been heated up in the oven.

“I like autumn in general.” Finn beamed. “Back home, it’s best for hiking, and the trees all change color...it’s quite beautiful.”

“Montreal’s like that as well.” Sami replied in between bites. “When we get the chance to move, we should think about somewhere that has actual season changes.”

“Like Chicago?” It was Finn’s turn to tease, Sami’s fondness of the Windy City well documented at this point.

“Yeah, maybe,” Sami giggled bashfully, then finished the pastry and resumed his work while Finn watched on and did his best not to appear too morose for being unable to handle such basic festivities; thankfully, come the winter holidays, he’d be able to tackle everything on his own.

Because Sami would be on the road while he’d still be home by himself, so he would have little choice.

Finn blinked at the thought and quickly wandered into the kitchen, yet again doing his best to ignore such intrusive thoughts and focusing on the positive. Always the positive. Switching gears, he opened up the Twitter app on his phone and scrolled through his notifications, the Halloween themed tweets directed at him steadily increasing over the past few weeks. 

“Sami?” Finn called out as he clicked ‘Like’ on a Jack-o-Lantern that had the Bálor Club logo carved into it.

“Hm?” Sami responded, rounding the corner into the kitchen as he did. “Lights are all up, by the way.”

“Oh, thank you!” Finn exclaimed, then pursed his lips as he tried to regain his train of thought.

“So what did you-”

“Pumpkins! I wanted to get some pumpkins for the porch. Could you give me a lift to go get some?”

“Sure thing.” Keys were retrieved without any further provocation; as they stood in line at the grocery store with Finn holding a pumpkin carving set and Sami behind him with two large pumpkins occupying both arms, it was another moment that Finn was able to catalog and he reminded himself how fortunate he was to have a partner that not once had ever dismissed his more novel ideas or made him feel less for having such interests. On the car ride back, Sami inquired if Finn would be able to handle the carving tools or if he’d any need help.

“I’ll be fine,” Finn assured him, grinning widely as Sami fussed.

“OK, but you really shouldn’t strain yourself, y’know? Like sometimes parts of the rind is really thick and it’s harder to get the little saw through it.” Sami took a hand off of the steering wheel and mimed a sawing motion with it.

“If it gets to that point, I’ll ask for your assistance.”

“Do you want me to scoop the guts out?”

“I-” Finn exhaled, ready to protest, but instead he shut his eyes and continued to smile. “Yes, love. I’d appreciate that.”

Once the precious cargo was finally brought into the kitchen, Sami immediately got to work setting down unused weekly circulars and a large mixing bowl on the table, and atop the flyers the pumpkins were placed. Finn sat across the table from him and observed Sami get to work on the first pumpkin, how his tongue poked out the side of his mouth as he concentrated on piercing the orange flesh. As Sami carved away with the flimsy blade and steadily worked forming a circle several inches away from the stem, his biceps would sometimes tense up and cause them to unintentionally flex, and Finn felt heat creep up into his face as he tried not to think about how long it’d been since they were able to share intimate moments beyond kissing (per the doctor’s recommendation, which they both strictly followed even though every prolonged bit of contact was now borderline torturous). 

Once the circle was complete, Sami tugged at the stem and the top was pulled off, and he looked up at Finn with pride in his eyes. “Got it!” was happily declared, but quickly his eyebrows knit. “Uh…”

“What?” Finn asked gruffly, caught off guard, then cleared his throat and repeated with a much softer, “What?”

“You just seem a bit...iunno, spacey.”

“Any more than usual?” 

“No, guess not,” Sami chuckled, then reached inside the pumpkin and made a face while mouthing _blech_ a few times. Handfuls of the stringy yellow innards were pulled out and dropped into the bowl. For several minutes this persisted, and eventually Finn brought the bowl to the sink and turned the faucet on.

“How much more you got there?” he called over his shoulder, putting the bowl under the running water.

“I think this might be the last of it.” The final handful was deposited into the trash, and Sami moved over to the sink and stood next to Finn, temporarily interrupting the flow of water as he rinsed his hands off. “Do you want me to work on the next one?”

“That depends, did you want to carve one as well?” A hopeful glance was cast at Sami, who right then had leaned in and kissed the side of Finn’s face.

“Maybe. I hadn’t really planned on it.” Sami shrugged, drying his hands on his t-shirt. “So I don’t really have any ideas, but lemme see if I can find some inspiration online.”

“OK.” Finn nodded and turned the water off, then head back over to the table, sitting where Sami had previously occupied moments ago and with his left hand picked up the drill that had come with the kit to lightly puncture several key points in the design that he had in mind. The trash barrel was dragged by Sami over to where the other pumpkin sat, and he looked down at his phone before retrieving the saw again, and started the process of carving once more. A few minutes passed where Finn patiently waited for Sami to finish, only to realize that a second saw was included in the kit, and he chuckled derisively of himself as he grabbed it. “Guess I really am spaced out.”

Sami looked up again, his face serious. “Maybe you shouldn’t-”

“I’ll be fine.” A hand was waved dismissively. 

“Be careful?” It was a plea more than a request.

“Yeah.” Finn nodded and swallowed, then slowly pushed the blade into the rind and dragged it for a few inches to make a horizontal line, followed by another and another. As Sami got up to rinse his hands for a second time, Finn paused what he was doing and caught himself once more impulsively watching every little mundane thing that his significant other did. It’d only been a bit more than a month since the injury and surgery, since he had to return home and be by himself yet again just after settling into a dream-like routine where Sami was the first thing he saw in the morning and the last thing that he saw before he closed his eyes at night. Mostly their current arrangement didn’t hurt, as his time and energy were almost wholly taken up by rehab, or usually he was too numb to be affected when it wasn’t, but it was when Sami was actually around that Finn felt the full impact of his absence. 

“Finn.” Sami’s gentle voice somehow managed to cut through the haze of Finn’s thoughts.

“I’ve got this. M’fine.” Finn reiterated, albeit without much conviction. "I can do this."

"I believe you." Sami's reply was soft, and Finn looked back down at the pumpkin, sawing lines as he ignored how using his non-dominant hand was still such a challenge even over the most minor tasks or how his chest sometimes tightened when confronted with such obstacles or how he felt eyes on him as he worked. Sami took his seat again and quietly they both worked. Once the incisions all finally connected to form a unified image, Finn applied light pressure to knock out the solid pieces that were now detached, and he smiled at his work; he’d been so focused on it that he jumped when a hand was placed on his good shoulder and Sami's voice came from behind him. "Oh my god, _Finn_."

"You like it?" Finn squeaked, his gaze fixed directly on the table now as he felt his face flush again.

“I love it.” The hand moved from the shoulder and to the pumpkin, fingers tracing the edges of the large ‘SZ’ logo that had been carved out. Finn dared to glance up and over his shoulder, catching the awe on Sami’s face.

“I wanted to do your other logo, but I would have had to use the Dremel for all the details and that’s far too difficult to operate right now.” The explanation was rushed out, threatening to devolve into rambling, but was cut off by a kiss placed on the top of the head.

“C’mon, this is perfect. Way better than what I was trying to do.” Sami chuckled, then reached over the table and turned his own pumpkin around, crude jagged shapes that vaguely resembled icicles carved into it. “I um…”

“Is that supposed to be Bálor’s teeth?” 

“You can tell?! I’m not so good at this, but I saw that some people painted their pumpkins with the teeth and tongue and I just...wanted to do something cool because…because I don’t know. Because I love you and you seem a bit down lately and I just wanted to cheer you up. But I’m not very good and at this kind of stuff, not like you are…” As Sami trailed off, Finn stood up and faced him, and they both nervously giggled once they made eye contact, but the laughter dying almost as soon as it started.

“I miss you,” Finn finally whispered, his eyes shutting.

“I’m right here.” Hands cupped both sides of his face, and Finn went pliant under the touch.

“I know. I love you. I love the pumpkin. I miss you so much, though. I didn’t think I’d ever have to say that again, yet here we are.” He felt his voice tremor so slightly and exhaled to try to steady himself. “Sometimes it’s just harder than other times and what can you even do?”

“Keep on keeping on? God, I miss you, too, though.” The hands dropped so that Sami could wrap his arms around Finn's waist, careful to avoid the sling. “Thought maybe this’d all be easier to handle after what we’ve already been through, but...fuck. And I know I’m a pain in the ass. I’m sorry.” 

“You can’t help it.” Finn smiled. “And you’re not.”

“Look.” Sami brought his lips to Finn’s temple and rested there for a short while, his bristly jaw lightly scratching against skin as he spoke. “Let’s go find the tea lights and then set these up on the porch before this unravels into another conversation where we cry for like an hour.”

“Alright, sure. I think I saw some earlier in the junk drawer.”

“Then we’ll finish up cleaning the seeds to toast them, order pizza, and pull out the VCR and watch ‘The Halloween Tree’ on tape because you can’t be bothered to track down the DVD version.”

“Why on earth would I replace something that’s perfectly functional?” Finn’s brow furrowed and Sami snorted.

“Right. Anyway, we’ll just take it easy. Try to enjoy being with one another instead of stressing out about when we won’t be.”

“Which we’ll probably do anyway.” 

“Yes, which we’ll probably do anyway.” Sami agreed, and it wasn’t long before both were laughing long and hard again, until the ache was only in their sides and stomachs and not from the simultaneously endearing yet pesky shared emotional kind that came from loving and longing for someone with every fiber of one’s self.


End file.
